Strategic Direction of The Missouri Bar

VISION: JUSTICE FIRST

MISSION STATEMENT: The Missouri Bar improves the lives of Missourians by providing for, promoting and protecting justice for all. 

The Missouri Bar provides for, promotes the needs of, and protects all our citizens:


GOAL: All Missourians have equal access to justice. 

Strategies

  1. Provide access to legal services for those facing barriers to legal representation.

  2. Connect those in need of lawyers with the most appropriate legal services available for their needs.

  3. Develop professional and practice strategies for adapting legal services to an evolving profession.


GOAL:  All Missourians have access to ongoing civics education. 

Strategies

  1. Enhance and expand civics education for all Missouri citizens through programs and cost-effective, alternative platforms.

  2. Provide civics education to students and teachers in grades K-16 through programs and cost-effective, alternative platforms. 

The Missouri Bar provides for, promotes the needs of, and protects Missouri lawyers:

GOAL:  Missouri lawyers benefit from affordable education and business-support services to even better serve their clients and communities through professional, competent and ethical conduct.

Strategies

  1. Provide continuing education to support and improve professionalism, competence and ethics.

  2. Develop membership programs including legal research, insurance, finance, member activities, travel and others.

  3. Demonstrate relevance by communicating the value of The Missouri Bar to its members.

  4. Develop alliances and partnerships that help benefit lawyers and the profession.

  5. Deliver services, resources, education, training, and communication which enhances and encourages the well-being of lawyers, judges, and law students.

GOAL:  Missouri lawyers reflect the diverse constituencies that we serve and all members view The Missouri Bar as an inclusive organization where they belong.

Strategies

  1. Increase the retention of diverse lawyers in the profession.

  2. Boost relationships with specialty and local bars.

  3. Promote greater participation among diverse lawyers in bar leadership roles.

The Missouri Bar provides for, promotes the needs of, and protects our coequal branches of government and the Rule of Law in government:


GOAL:  Missouri laws are uniform, clear and precise, and the justice system, which interprets and applies them, is supported with adequate resources to fulfill its assigned constitutional role in a just, prompt, and economic manner.

Strategies

  1. Improve the law by positioning The Missouri Bar to be an authoritative and comprehensive source of information for the legislature, the executive branch and the judiciary.

  2. Advocate for policies that promote the effective administration of justice and the fiscal stability of the justice system, consistent with the scope of a unified bar and the purpose for which The Missouri Bar was created.

  3. Foster personal relationships and working partnerships between lawyers across Missouri and their local and state elected officials.

  4. Keep members informed about changes to the law and provide them with the tools to contact elected officials and be engaged in the lawmaking process.

  5. Promote increased member engagement as public citizens, including volunteer civic activities and service in elected or appointed office. 


GOAL: The people of Missouri respect the law and the role judges and lawyers play in a civil society.

Strategies

  1. Ensure the public has confidence their judges are fair and impartial and will decide matters before them based on the law and facts.

  2. Strengthen public understanding of lawyers as problem solvers who improve their clients’ lives and our communities.

  3. Strengthen and improve the working relationship between the bar and the media.

  4. Provide a strong voice for Missouri lawyers and the judicial branch of government.

GOAL:  The Missouri Bar has the capacity, commitment and capability to sustain our efforts in support of the people of Missouri, the judicial system, the profession and the law.

Strategies

  1. Recruit and support strong governing leaders to guide the organization.

  2. Hire and retain outstanding professional staff and support teams.

  3. Steward the financial resources of the organization responsibly and sustainably.

  4. Develop multiple revenue streams to leverage the impact of the bar.

  5. Invest in organizational systems and infrastructure to support the entire organization.  


The Missouri Bar Board of Governors
Approved July 14, 2017